Mark Clement

New Worship Album from New River

Excited to share a new worship album that just came out a couple of weeks ago from New River Fellowship in Weatherford, TX, called 'One'.

This collection of live worship songs from the team at New River is incredibly well done and includes some songs you've probably never heard of but that will soon be part of your worship sets. The most impressive thing about this album is that it's performed not by a bunch of hired guns, but by true volunteers which speaks to the amazing talent and heart of this church. Do yourself a favor and download it today. You can access it here:

Talent + Hunger = Success

Over the last couple of years I've had the chance to work with some amazingly talented people in the film world. Cinematographers, production assistants, makeup artists, camera operators, grips, lighting and audio guys, etc.... But the ones that really stand out to me, the ones that are incredibly impressive, are the ones that are hungry.

Talent is great, and necessary, but without hunger, it's not worth much.

As professionals, we all have to draw some lines in the sand when it comes to what we believe our services are worth. I've had to do it. And I respect those that can stick to their guns. But let's be honest, when work is scarce, and things are tight, that line needs to be moved accordingly. After all, regardless of what you think you are worth, if the market won't bear it, it doesn't really matter, does it?

As for me, I choose to work with those who are hungry, because they are the people that care more about the work than their egos. And guess what, as the budgets and opportunities grow, they are they guys that I'll go to again and again because they stuck with me in the trenches when it counted.

So, you can be hungry and get after it and do the work and build your portfolio for a fair price OR you can just sit at home and be hungry, literally.

 

 

Why I Watch So Many Movies

i often get comments from people about the number of movies I watch. And I'll be the first to admit, it's a lot. Why so many? The answer is simple. Because I LOVE them.

On average I see at least one film a week in the theatre and probably watch at least 5-6 more at home. Every week. Without exception. I get lost in the stories. But it's much, much more than that. Every film is an education. How it was shot, the lighting, the coloring, the way it was edited together, the music choices. I analyze the story structure. I never stop learning. I watch every behind the scenes thing I can get my hands on, the outtakes, the directors cut with commentary. You name it, I watch it. I also watch every interview with a director I can find, I read books about it, I read and study screenplays. And then, most importantly, I apply what I learn in my own films.

It's a hunger. A passion. It keeps me up at night. And I can't get enough of it.

I rarely ever play golf anymore. I no longer spend a couple hours every day cycling. I spend less frivolous time in front of the tv. I don't watch as much football. These things are great, but they aren't getting me anywhere.

Whatever you're into, there has never been a better time in the history of the world than right now to learn. With the internet, cable and satellite tv, channels devoted to almost everything under the sun, podcasts and webinars, conferences, cheap e-books....informational resources abound. All you have to do is look, listen, and learn.Almost anything I could learn at film school is just a click away. And I'm taking full advantage.

That is why I watch so many movies.

What about you? What is it that you can't get enough of? What do you love with a burning passion? There is no excuse. Now is the time. Get on it.

Building 'From The Sky Down'

Last night Tammy and I stumbled upon the new U2 documentary 'From The Sky Down' playing right now on Showtime. A must see for any artist looking to improve their process. HIGHLY recommend. I didn't understand the tite until, about 20 minutes in, Bono said something about choosing to 'build my house from the sky down'.

This idea immediately resonated with me and like most great nuggets of wisdom it flipped a common concept, building from the ground up, on it's head. My takeaway was that you have to know where you're going in order to get there. Another way to say it is that you can't build a proper foundation or ground floor unless you know what the desired view from the top level is going to be. This tells you what you need, and what you don't need, to properly build you house...your company....your church....your dream. I have always operated this way but never was able to say it so beautifully.

This is why I turned down an opportunity to do a very Christiany/churchy film that would have been very easily financed, I didn't want to get sucked into that world and pigeon holed stylistically. This is why I didn't do a documentary as my first film out of the gate in 2010, because everyone and their brother with a video camera is making docs, it's too easy. This is why I'm creating revenue streams in other areas of my company that will free me up to eventually work full time on films. This is why I'm praying for a business partner to come along side me to help make this dream a reality, because I don't want to be burdened/distracted by the financial side of things, which I'm not very good at anyway. I know what I want my top level view to look like, therefore I know which bricks need to be laid today. My head is down, I'm focused, and I'm working hard, but I always, always, always, have one eye on the horizon.

What does building 'from the sky down' look like for you?

'Running' Teaser Trailer

This is a very early look at what we're putting together for the upcoming @twcpastorvan film 'Running' which will debut December 31st here in Birmingham. We're very excited about how it's coming together and wanted to share a little sneak peak.

More Stills From The Set Of 'Running'

Just off three more days on location shooting the new film 'Running', I'm thrilled with the results so far. Our cast and crew and volunteers have done a tremendous job and everything has really gone incredibly smooth. The following is a random assortment of production stills from the last few days.

 

 

From The Set Of 'Running'

John Marc Green, my 1st Assistant Director, took some great behind the scene photos from our shoot over the last few days:

Fun little Animoto vid showing some of the pix:

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

 

Me and Director of Photography (DP) Joe Walker talking through a couple of different shots:

This is a great shot showing the complicated lighting required to pull off an outdoor night scene. L-R Paul (key grip), me directing, Joe (DP):

Me and our 2 lead actors Scott Ross and Van Moody working through a complicated emotional scene between the two men. Because you often have to shoot things out of order to be more efficient, it takes some effort to get everyone up to speed on where we are in the story, what just happened, what are you feeling, etc... Always stretches me as a director. One of my favorite parts of movie making is the spirit of collaboration, everyone contributing to make it work.